When Karyna Auletta was young, she suffered from an undiagnosed chronic illness that caused immense pain and stifled productivity. However, the people around her could not see or feel her pain, so they could not understand it. But this did not make it any less real. Karyna resorted to dangerous methods like self-harm to cope with the pain and consequently developed depression.
Thankfully, a doctor empathized with her pain and got her the help she needed. Since then, Karyna has nursed a passion for helping others and being empathetic to their pain. She says,” my ability to live life as an able person made me want to give back by helping others not to feel pain and loneliness in whatever path that might look like.”
What is Empathy?
It is the ability to share other peoples’ feelings. It does not mean that you have to accept their views or agree with them in any way. It is simply being able to sense people’s emotions, understand and relate to them.
A little empathy can go a long way. That is the message that Karyna Auletta hopes to spread. If you have friends or family living with mental illnesses, a neighbor, or even a total stranger, you can show them empathy by:
Karyna Auletta on Listening to What they Say
Not just waiting till their monologue is over, but real, active listening. The kind where you’re engaged and constantly provide validation by acknowledging what they say.
Sometimes people just want to be heard, and taking the time to listen to what people have to say can help them feel so much better. For people with mental illnesses, it can even be vital to their wellbeing.
Stepping into their Shoes
Empathy means understanding and relating to other peoples feeling, and what better way to do that than putting yourself in their position. Walk a mile in their shoes and see how it feels before you draw any conclusions about them.
Doing this can give you a whole new perspective and help you better understand what they are going through and how you can help.
Karyna Auletta Says To Ask Questions
Asking questions is a great way to show that you understand a person’s feelings, care, and want to know more.
This simple thing can help people feel validated, seen, and acknowledged. It can also encourage them to open up about the challenges they are facing.
Learn
Empathy cannot exist in ignorance. You will be more likely to hurt others than help them.
It pays to do your research about mental health. That way, you better understand what mentally ill people face and how you can help.
You also realize any mistakes you may be making or ways you might be unconsciously causing harm to others and can take steps to change those patterns.
Teach Others
Taking what you’ve learned about mental health and teaching it to others can go a long way to show empathy for the mentally ill. This is what Karyna Auletta is doing. “I plan on traveling and speaking to break the mental health stigma. I’m also partnering with an amazing therapist and performance coach, Katie Cheadle, to host a table talk to break the stigma of mental health in various careers,” she tells me. And this is just the beginning. She’s going even further by enlisting the help of different guests who can appeal to their unique audience.
Karyna Auletta Says to Use Kind Language
Because of the stigma surrounding mental health, many derogatory words describe mental illnesses and people living with mental illnesses. As a result, many people do not seek out the help they need for fear of being labeled “crazy” and those who are bold enough to deal with the discrimination from others.
Being empathetic in this situation means refraining from using those words and educating others about the dangers and suggesting alternatives.
Don’t Judge
You can’t ever really understand the mentally ill people’s challenges; that is why it is wrong to judge them. Passing judgment rarely ever helps anybody. All it does is make people feel bad, close them off and damage their self-esteem. Instead, you should practice stepping into other people’s shoes and seeing things from their perspectives.
Conclusion
Supporting people living with mental illnesses can be a lot of work, but having passion and empathy can make it easier. “Empathy can be such a strong driving force,” Karyna tells me. There needs to be a lot of it to hold so many emotions and endure it all. It is not an easy profession, but it can be fulfilling to those with empathy and passion for others.”
